Live forever in the Lord’s righteousness.

 

Sermon for Septuagesima, February 1, 2026

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Psalm 37:21-29  ²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and give.  ²²So those God blesses will inherit the earth, but those he curses will be cut off.  ²³By the Lord the steps of a person are made secure.  Then he will delight in his way.  ²⁴Though he falls, he will not stay down, because the Lord holds him by his hand.  ²⁵I was a young man.  Now I am old.  But I have never seen a righteous person forsaken or his children begging for bread.  ²⁶Every day he is gracious and lends.  His children will be blessed.  ²⁷Turn back from evil and do good.  Then you will remain forever.  ²⁸For the Lord loves justice.  He will not forsake his favored ones.  They will be protected forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.  ²⁹The righteous will inherit the earth.  They will dwell on it forever. (EHV)

Live forever in the Lord’s righteousness.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            Psalm 37 is a study in contrast of the wicked and the righteous.  Here, in our sermon text, the topic is particularly our relationship with material things.  For the wicked person, that man or woman without true repentance or faith in God, the things of this world are the only things that matter.  On the other hand, those counted as righteous by God are those who have believed His Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit in that Word consider the things to come after this life as most important and most valuable to possess.  Thus, we are encouraged to Live forever in the Lord’s righteousness.

This morning, we also consider The Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal.  What does this mean?  Martin Luther explained: “We should fear and love God, so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or goods, nor get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his goods and means of making a living.”

Now, I am fairly confident that most of us present this morning would consider ourselves honest in our dealing with money and goods.  Furthermore, we are likely to be pretty generous in our giving, both to church and perhaps also to charity.  So, does that make us righteous before God?  The answer, of course, is that even doing our very best still leaves us far short of the glory of God.  The prophet, Isaiah, explained that because all of mankind is infected with inherited sin, “All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a filthy cloth.” (Isaiah 64:6)

So, going back to our text we read, “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and give.”  That sounds like we could be in the clear, doesn’t it?  Who among us would borrow without intending to repay?  However, how often do we consider that everything we possess is lent to us by God who is the owner of all creation?  It is in this very thing that we likely sin much.  People pile up money and possessions, not so that they can share with others, but for their own use or pleasure.  We pile up savings for our retirement years as if God might not provide. 

Now, of course, saving for retirement is just doing good planning, correct?  We should be wise in our planning both for retirement and for our daily business dealings.  To not plan is to plan to fail, so the saying goes, and we know that is true.  So, what kind of muddled mess are we in?  To be honest, we are sinners in a broken world and try as we might, we will never be perfect in our dealings with money or our neighbors in need.  I know I personally struggle with deciding when I should give to those who have less than me.  Do they have a real need, or are they squandering their money foolishly?  Am I helping if I give or only enabling bad behavior or addictions?  All these thoughts run through our minds and often we can’t know the answers.

But, as we read through our sermon text, did you notice all the promises God makes?  Yes, He does, indeed, condemn the wicked.  By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the psalmist wrote, “those he curses will be cut off,” and “the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.”  To live apart from true righteousness will certainly lead to God pouring out His wrath upon the wicked.  Hell, with all its torments, awaits those who are not blessed with righteousness.  That is why the psalmist implores us all to “Turn back from evil and do good.”  Yet, as believing Christians, we do most definitely desire to do good.  The power of the Spirit working in us motivates us to do the good works God intends for us to do.  St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

When he was a monk trying to do everything he could to please God, Martin Luther was tormented day and night with the reality that he could never live up to the just demands of the law.  He could never live up to the righteousness of God.  However, through his dedicated study of the Scriptures, there came a day when he finally understood what God has promised us throughout His holy Word.  St. Paul made it clear in the letter to the Romans, “But now, completely apart from the law, a righteousness from God has been made known.  The Law and the Prophets testify to it.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all and over all who believe.” (Romans 3:21-22) 

This external righteousness comes to us through faith in Jesus.  It is through believing in Him that we are counted holy in the courtroom of the Lord.  Once the Holy Spirit grants us this faith, then look at what God promises us through the psalmist: “By the Lord the steps of a person are made secure.  Then he will delight in his way.  Though he falls, he will not stay down, because the Lord holds him by his hand.”  Consequently, we can look at the material things of this world in a whole new light.  Now, we can trust that God will always provide and we don’t have to worry about tomorrow’s needs.  Now, when given the opportunity to be generous, it flows much easier from our hearts through our hands.

Considering the 7^th commandment that we do not steal, it is by faith that we gladly obey.  It is by faith that we make plans to use our property and goods in God-pleasing ways and according to His plans and not ours alone.  By the faith in Jesus we are given, we now truly do desire to share with the world this comforting hope, that Christ has lived and died and rose again to give us righteousness.  As you have heard many times before, “God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

One thing that can never be denied is that our Lord has certainly been generous with us.  Whether we are millionaires or living in a cardboard box on the street, God has given us life.  He gives us our daily bread in whatever way that is needed.  He gives us air to breath, water and food, and oh so many other physical blessings.  Best of all, He gave His Son as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, so that no one can say that Jesus didn’t give His life for me.  Jesus Himself declared, “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Now, having become the beneficiaries of God’s mercy and generosity, hear again the promises the psalmist makes: “Those God blesses will inherit the earth, … the Lord holds him by his hand. … His children will be blessed. … Then you will remain forever.  For the Lord loves justice.  He will not forsake his favored ones. … The righteous will inherit the earth.  They will dwell on it forever.”  Amen.  Amen.  And amen.  What greater gift could God give us than His own dear Son?  How much more do we expect God to provide for us than all we need for body and life?  What greater future do we desire than to dwell with our Lord and God in heaven for all eternity?  This is where we need to keep our focus, not on any perceived daily shortcomings in wealth, but in the riches of heaven prepared for those who love God.

Jesus told His followers, “So do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?”  For the unbelievers chase after all these things.  Certainly your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31-33)  What amazing generosity our God has shown us!  That no matter what our position in this life, He has granted eternal life to all those who believe in His Son.

Dear friends, as we approach the Lord our God in confession of our sins, and at the altar where He feeds us with His body and blood in the bread and wine, trust the promises God makes: that your sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake, (1 John 2:12) “that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16)  Finally, from the Revelation given to St. John, we hear what our future surely holds.  He reports,

And from the throne I heard a loud voice that said, “Look!  God’s dwelling is with people.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.”  The one who was seated on the throne said to me, “Look, I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:3-5)

Dear friends, be encouraged by these words.  Live forever in the Lord’s righteousness.  Amen. 

The LORD is good.  His mercy endures forever.  His faithfulness continues through all generations.  Amen.

With the veil lifted, we are transformed.

 

Sermon for Transfiguration, January 25, 2026

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

2 Corinthians 3:7-18  ⁷If the ministry that brought death (which was engraved in letters on stone) came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look directly at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (though it was fading), ⁸how will the ministry of the spirit not be much more glorious?  ⁹For if the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, the ministry that brought righteousness has even more glory.  ¹⁰In fact, in this case, what was glorious is no longer very glorious, because of the greater glory of that which surpasses it.  ¹¹Indeed, if what is fading away was glorious, how much more glorious is that which is permanent!  ¹²Therefore, since we have this kind of hope, we act with great boldness.  ¹³We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the Israelites could not continue to look at the end of the radiance, as it was fading away.  ¹⁴In spite of this, their minds were hardened.  Yes, up to the present day, the same veil remains when the Old Testament is read.  It has not been removed because it is taken away only in Christ.  ¹⁵Instead, to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.  ¹⁶But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  ¹⁸But all of us who reflect the Lord’s glory with an unveiled face are being transformed into his own image, from one degree of glory to another.  This too is from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (EHV)

With the veil lifted, we are transformed.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            In the cacophony of social media concerning political unrest, law enforcement, and craziness in our troubled society, there have been many opinions thrown around of what a Christian really is.  Even many faithful believers can get caught up in the debates of what makes us good Christians.  Some contend that real Christians never sin, but I have also heard people say we have to preach more law in our churches.  Some, however, don’t want any law.   Others pretend that certain laws must take precedence over other statements in Scripture.  Still others imagine the ability to judge rightly the minds and hearts of their fellow citizens and to condemn those who maybe don’t align exactly with their own particular persuasions.

The new Christians at Corinth were being troubled by roaming teachers trying to impose a return to the old Mosaic laws as a basis for “real” Christianity.  Paul’s explanation, here, matches what Scripture teaches throughout.  We rightly teach that the Bible contains two chief doctrines, the Law and the Gospel.  Each serves its purpose.  Each is a gift of God.  Yet, the Law alone only condemns, and those stuck on the law are blinded to the Gospel.  On the other hand, trusting fully in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus, we say, With the veil lifted, we are transformed.

In the first part of our text, Paul testifies concerning the glory of the law.  When God gave the law to Moses on the stone tablets, that meeting with God left Moses’ face shining with reflected glory.  The law also has glory because it comes directly from God to be a blessing to His people.  Yet, that law brings condemnation because none of us is able to obey it completely.  Because of the sin that infects our nature, we always fall short of the law’s demand for perfect, unquestioned obedience.  Even that idea of unquestioned obedience stirs up a negative reaction in the natural flesh.  Especially, when many now assume that laws were made by men, not questioning authority seems foolish.

However, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, St. Paul recognizes that the Law has glory because it is God’s will, and God being perfectly holy will always be glorious.  The problem with God’s Law is not that it is frail, corrupt, or imperfect, but that we are.  God set those parameters to protect people from each other and from the sinner within.  In addition, God gave Israel civil and ceremonial laws to keep that people separate from the pagan nations that surrounded them.  God wanted to keep them as His own holy people.

Again, however, they were not made holy to God by their perfection in obedience.  Instead, God counted them holy in the same way He counts believers holy today—through faith in Him.  The ceremonies and sacrifices all pointed forward to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Through the law, God made Israel aware that He provides everything needed for body and soul.  But even in those times, the law couldn’t save.  For we read, “No one will be declared righteous in his sight by works of the law, for through the law we become aware of sin.” ⁽Romans 3:20) Whenever Moses had met face to face with God, he covered the glory shining in his face when he returned to Israel’s midst.  Paul tells us that he did so to prevent them from seeing the glory fade. 

As the glory shining in Moses’ face would fade, perhaps also the respect for God’s commands would fade among the people.  Still, the glory of the law remained.

In contrast, we have been blessed with the full measure of the Gospel, and the glory of the Gospel can never fade or change.  It is an accomplished fact.  No court, no devil, no rebellious force can take away the forgiveness, righteousness, and salvation Jesus has won for us all through His life, death, and resurrection.  Through this Good News, With the veil lifted, we are transformed.

Paul wrote by the power of the Spirit, “For if the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, the ministry that brought righteousness has even more glory.  In fact, in this case, what was glorious is no longer very glorious, because of the greater glory of that which surpasses it.  Indeed, if what is fading away was glorious, how much more glorious is that which is permanent!”

The original apostles were sent out to the world with the Good News of free salvation to all people through Christ Jesus.  It is God’s gift to all who believe His Word and the Promise of His Son.  But one thing to remember is that even that faith is not a work of law but rather a gift of the Holy Spirit.  And, that is a truth that many people in our times struggle to accept.  There is an element of our old nature that clings to the law, misunderstanding that obedience must come before faith.

When Paul wrote this letter, the mistake he was addressing was the false teaching that the old ceremonial laws were required for salvation.  The danger for people of our time is that the same veil still clouds their minds.  Some ways that the veil is still evident is when people decree that you must make a decision for Jesus.  Or if they say you must love like Jesus.  Or when they use Jesus mostly as someone to be imitated rather than trusted.  There are many today who use the Bible primarily as a self-help book.  Again, that is not faith in the Savior.

So, what makes the difference and what has changed us?  The difference lies in trusting that the Holy Spirit has worked saving faith in us through the power of His Holy Word.  To the Roman congregation, Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes—to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed by faith, for faith, just as it is written, “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)  Again we read, “Therefore, since we have this kind of hope, we act with great boldness.  We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the Israelites could not continue to look at the end of the radiance, as it was fading away.  In spite of this, their minds were hardened.  Yes, up to the present day, the same veil remains when the Old Testament is read.  It has not been removed because it is taken away only in Christ.” 

We are transformed by the Good News of Jesus living for us, dying in our place, and rising to give us life.  We are transformed not by our choice or decision, or even any effort whether before or after we believe in Jesus.  We are transformed by the grace of God given to us and worked in us by the Holy Spirit.  Again, the Spirit caused Paul to write, “Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)  Just as he writes elsewhere, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

Those who focus on the law, no matter what denomination, religion, or intention are stuck under the veil.  When the focus is law, the result is condemnation because the law cannot save.  That doesn’t take away its glory.  Nor is it without purpose or use in our day.  As believers who have been transformed by the Gospel, the law for us becomes a guide, showing us what God would have us be for our neighbors, but never as servants in chains.  Rather, “Whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  But all of us who reflect the Lord’s glory with an unveiled face are being transformed into his own image, from one degree of glory to another.  This too is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 

No one has ever turned to the Lord on his own volition; that always comes by the work of the Spirit in the Gospel.  Still, With the veil lifted, we are transformed.  No longer are we counted as rebels and sinners before God.  Nor do faithful believers in Christ want to persist in sin.  We acknowledge that we still falter and fall in our natural bodies, but our persistent plea is for the Lord to continue to grow our faith in Jesus and to teach us to live according to His will.  These aren’t personal decisions we make but the Spirit of the Lord dwelling in us that transforms our hearts and minds to live for God in service to our fellow man and in full trust in God’s love and mercy for each of us.

As we continue our review of the catechism, it is important that we understand the difference between law and Gospel.  The law tells us what God commands us to believe, think, and do, and what we should not believe, think, or do.  Still, we all “fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

On the other hand, through the Gospel, the Good News of all the Triune God has done and continues to do for us, we believers in Jesus “are being transformed into his own image, from one degree of glory to another.  This too is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”  Consequently, in Jesus’ love for us, we can say with full confidence that since the Spirit has lifted the veil, we are transformed in the righteousness of Christ.  Amen.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his own blood and made us a kingdom and priests to God his Father—to him be the glory and the power forever.  Amen.

It is good not to be alone.

 

Sermon for Epiphany 2, January 18, 2026

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior, Bridegroom, and Lord.  Amen.

Genesis 2:18-25  ¹⁸The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper who is a suitable partner for him.”  ¹⁹Out of the soil, the Lord God had formed every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them.  Whatever the man called every living creature, that became its name.  ²⁰The man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal, but for Adam no helper was found who was a suitable partner for him.  ²¹The Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep.  As the man slept, the Lord God took a rib and closed up the flesh where it had been.  ²²The Lord God built a woman from the rib that he had taken from the man and brought her to the man.  ²³The man said, “Now this one is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.  She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.  ²⁴For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will remain united with his wife, and they will become one flesh.”  ²⁵They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed. (EHV)

It is good not to be alone.

Dear fellow believers dressed in wedding-white,

            Preaching on marriage in today’s world can feel a bit like taking a walk in a mine field.  You never know when you might hit a spot that blows up on you.  Still, God’s Word indicates that this teaching is highly important, so we are assured God’s blessing if we approach marriage faithfully.  Today’s text teaches us that It is good not to be alone.

As God created the world and everything in it, He came to the peak of His creation which is mankind.  This text is not a second creation account but rather, it gives further insight to how God created man on the sixth day.  With our modern, rationalistic minds, it might be hard to comprehend how all of this could happen in one day, but we again realize that God is God and He does not lie.  Therefore, we trust that the Holy Spirit gave Moses the exact history as he wrote this account.

As we begin, notice how God emphasizes for Adam and for us, the importance of marriage.  The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper who is a suitable partner for him.”  God paraded all the animals of creation before Adam so that Adam would recognize the value of the person God would soon give him.  It is not simply that a man needs company, but that a man alone cannot fulfil what God intends for mankind.  We could explain it as a need for a mate to reproduce, but I am convinced that God’s intention flows far deeper than just that.

As we explore this connection, we learn what God means by the term “helper.”  The woman God built up (and yes that is the literal translation of the word) out of Adam’s rib would be the exact complement for his need.  Eve was created in such a way that Adam would instantly recognize the perfection of her fit with him.  She would be his perfect complement physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Since God began the creation of woman by taking out of Adam’s side, the woman would be, both, of the same kind as man, yet be built differently as well.  Equal in value before God, equally created in God’s image, yet formed with some differing attributes to serve a complementary role in human existence.  We see the result as Adam rejoiced when he met this newly created woman.  He said, “Now this one is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.  She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.  For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will remain united with his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect harmony with each other and with God.  In those first days after creation, they lacked nothing.  With no sin to trouble them, being naked gave them no thought of shame or lust or any other emotion contrary to God’s will.  Of course, I think all of us have heard how sin entered the world and consequently, that perfect holiness and peace was shattered. 

Immediately after they were corrupted by sin, bitter accusations flew between the two and against God.  Death entered the world because of sin.  Ever since, sinful lusts and desires have corrupted God’s good will for marriage.  Men and women often struggle to find that partner who is an ideal fit for them.  In addition, the devil’s deceptions have caused people to seek the good things of marriage apart from the relationship God instituted to provide those good things. 

In our times, many people listening to the devil’s deceits and our own corrupted desires and thoughts come together in physical union before marriage.  Others seek happiness in breaking the union they have asked God to bless so they can seek contentment elsewhere.  Same sex unions and polygamous marriages are again falsely imagined as being equally beneficial. 

However, these corruptions aren’t new.  They come from a lack of trust in God.  While listing the extensive ways people sin against God in marriage matters, St. Paul wrote, “As they followed the sinful desires of their hearts, God handed them over to the impurity of degrading their own bodies among themselves.  Such people have traded the truth about God for the lie, worshipping and serving the creation rather than the Creator, who is worthy of praise forever. … For this reason God handed them over to disgraceful passions.” (Romans 1:24-26)  Just as so much of the ancient world sought pleasure in sexual immorality rather than to preserve the marital relationship in a God pleasing way, so such deviations have become even more common in our times.

For just this reason, God built a fence around marriage for the good of those who will follow Him.  In The Sixth Commandment, God declared, “You shall not commit adultery.”  What does this mean?  The catechism explains, “We should fear and love God, so that we lead a chaste and decent life in word and deed, and that husband and wife each love and honor the other.”  God intended that man and woman would honor the marriage bed even before they find someone to marry.  He intended this union to be a one man with one woman arrangement for as long as they both should live.  As Jesus declared, “The two will become one flesh.  So they are no longer two but one flesh.  Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mark 10:8-9)

Among the many beneficial reasons God gave marriage to mankind, God wanted marriage protected from our evil desires for an eternal reason.  In His Word to mankind, God compares marriage to the union He would reestablish with those who believe in Hims for forgiveness and salvation.  In the Old Testament, there were many times when God identifies Himself as a husband for the Children of Israel.  In other words, God had chosen that people as His own beloved Bride upon whom He could pour out blessing after blessing.  He would protect and provide for them, guard them against all enemy forces, provide them with a glorious bridal gown of righteousness, and build them into a great kingdom of uncountable numbers.

Unfortunately, Israel often turned away from God to prostitute themselves with idols and the desires of the world.  Time and again God called for that nation to return to Him for forgiveness and peace.  Through Jeremiah, God pleaded, “Return, unfaithful people,” declares the Lord, “because I am your husband.  I will take you—one from a city, two from a family—and bring you to Zion.” (Jeremiah 3:14)

So, what does all this mean to you and me.  First, God protects marriage in this commandment, in order to protect those of us He loves.  It is God’s desire that our relationships on earth reflect the perfection and peace we have with Him through faith in Jesus Christ.  The New Testament equates the Christian Church as a bride for God’s Son.  The Church is made holy and radiant through the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.  Therefore, inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul implores us, “Flee from sexual immorality!  Every sin that a person commits is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought at a price.  Therefore glorify God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

Today, as we compare our marriages to the perfection God planned for us and the perfection He promises through union with His Son, we all have to admit that we fail.  We have lusted in our hearts.  We have failed to love our wives as perfectly as we should, and wives have failed to submit to their husbands as perfectly as they should.  Too many people have pretended that so-called trial marriage (or living together without marriage) is a good thing.  Others have promised to love until death parts them but soon let the world and frustrations drive them apart.  None of us can claim holiness through obedience to the command.  That is why we need Jesus.  That is why It is good not to be alone.

To be alone without Jesus is to subject ourselves to the eternal condemnation we deserve.  However, Jesus has been ever faithful to His promise of love for all of us sinners.  God’s Son came into this world to be the scapegoat who bore our sins away.  By His perfect obedience to all the commands and to His Father’s will, Jesus has provided us with a royal wedding dress that far surpasses even the most elaborate royal wedding gown that has ever been seen on earth.  Dressed in the righteousness of Jesus, the Christian Church will shine in heaven with the glory of God for Christ has covered us with His holiness and made us, His Bride, the most beautiful of all creation.

Now, because sin has corrupted the world, not every man nor every woman will find the perfect match.  Some may never desire to be joined with another person in marriage.  God has His plan for each of us.  At the same time, God invites every person on earth to believe in the love He has for us in His Son, Jesus.  Through prophets, apostles, and evangelists, through pastors and teachers, mothers and fathers, the call has gone out to the world to come into relationship with our One true love who will never leave us and never fail us.  Through His prophet, the Lord our God has declared, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.  I have drawn you with mercy.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

By the power of the Gospel and the water and Word of Baptism, God has drawn to Himself a holy Bride, people like you and me made holy by the blood He shed for all on the cross.  Again, He invites us to dwell with Him to be healed of all sin, and to remember that with Christ Jesus, It is good not to be alone.  Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Christ’s righteousness covers your shame.

 

Sermon for Epiphany 1, January 11, 2026

Grace and peace to all of you who are in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Genesis 9:18-29  ¹⁸The sons of Noah who went out from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.)  ¹⁹These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, people spread out over the whole earth.  ²⁰Noah began to be a man of the soil and planted a vineyard.  ²¹He drank some of the wine and got drunk.  He lay uncovered inside his tent.  ²²Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside.  ²³Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it over their shoulders.  They went in backwards and covered the nakedness of their father.  They faced backwards, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.  ²⁴Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him.  ²⁵He said: A curse on Canaan!  He will be the lowest of servants to his brothers.  ²⁶Then he said: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem!  Let Canaan be his servant.  ²⁷May God enlarge Japheth.  Let him dwell in the tents of Shem.  Let Canaan be his servant.  ²⁸Noah lived 350 years after the flood.  ²⁹All the days of Noah were 950 years.  Then he died. (EHV)

Christ’s righteousness covers your shame.

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus,

            The Fourth Commandment states: Honor your father and your mother, that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

Martin Luther asked, What does this mean?  He then explained, “We should fear and love God, so that we do not despise our parents or superiors, nor provoke them to anger, but honor, serve, obey, love and esteem them.”  In his letter to the Ephesian congregation, St. Paul called this commandment, “the first commandment with a promise.” (Ephesians 6:2)  God promises great blessings will come our way if we follow His commands, and this one especially so.

As we take our catechism students through classes before confirmation, we teach what these commands include.  How far does each commandment reach while instructing us to do God’s will?  It doesn’t take long to realize that for each commandment, we fall far short of holiness before God.  In addition, this 4^th command puts us under the authority of all those God places in positions of power above us.  That means we are to obey our parents, certainly, but by extension, all positions of authority placed over people are established primarily as an extension of our parents’ authority and especially God’s authority as our Father and Creator.  Through St. Peter, the Holy Spirit commands us:

Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the king as the supreme authority or to governors as those who have been sent by him to punish those who do what is wrong and to praise those who do what is right.  For this is God’s will: that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.  Do this as free people, and do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but use it as servants of God. (1 Peter 2:13-16)

Returning to our sermon text, we have the example of a young man who didn’t respect and honor his father.  The details are minimal, but this much is clear; Noah planted a vineyard, and once it was producing fruit, he made wine.  Unfortunately, he then consumed too much wine. 

Now, many commentators condemn Noah for his drunkenness, and some for even consuming the wine, but certainly, we understand that drinking intoxicating beverages to excess is a sin.  At the same time, there is no indication that Noah regularly did this or even that he intended to get drunk.  Still, we grant that intention isn’t the only part of sin.

However, the sin that comes under condemnation in this text is Ham’s reaction to seeing his father’s shame.  It appears that Ham took unnatural pleasure from seeing his father drunk and naked in his tent.  Perhaps, there was a sensual element to it.  That might fit well with later Canaanite history.  At the minimum, Ham publicly shamed his father to his brothers.  He took pleasure in embarrassing his father for this temporary weakness.  Ham’s lack of respect for Noah is remarkable.

Back when I was a teenager, it was quite common for my peers to disrespectfully refer to their fathers as their old man.  I always thought that was terribly disrespectful.  At the same time, I dare not hold myself up as some kind of extra-virtuous person for feeling that way, for I know that there were times when I didn’t show my father the respect I owed him, and for such sins, I also must repent.

The result of Ham’s wicked behavior startles us.  The translations make it sound like Noah was placing a curse on his grandson for Ham’s infraction.  I note, however, that the curse comes not from Noah, but from the Lord God.  A literal translation of Noah’s comment would be more like “Having been cursed is Canaan!”  Noah was recognizing that Ham’s failure would have long term consequences for his family.  Time and again through Moses, God warned His people, “I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.” (Deuteronomy 5:9 NKJ) 

This does not mean that God punishes children for the sins of their father, but that the fathers’ failures are often carried on through the following generations due to failure to properly instruct the children in righteousness or the children imitating their father’s wickedness, which often grows exponentially more wicked through the passing of time and generations.  Canaan’s descendants, as you would expect, became the Canaanites, and they were known for the extreme wickedness of their worship, for they abandoned God to worship idols with vile forms of prostitution and sexual excess.  For the Canaanites’ blatant idolatry, God used Israel to bring His judgment on the Canaanite people.

In our own time, disrespect for authority is rampant.  Disrespect for God and His law even more so.  This past week, a woman lost her life as a consequence of this disrespect.  Whichever side one falls on concerning her death, the truth of the matter is we all share in the guilt.  It has become far too common to pick and choose what laws we want to obey.  Likewise, one of the main faults is that the leaders we elect have not consistently enforced the laws we have.  It is a tragedy that some civil authorities have in certain cases foolishly decided to disregard their role of enforcement, and many citizens have decided that enforcers are evil for doing their jobs. 

Yet, as God’s people, we are commanded to obey and respect every authority placed over us.  We can only disobey authorities when they command us to do something against God’s law, for “We must obey God rather than men.^” (Acts 5:29)  Still, when forced to resist evil commands, we suffer the consequences of their wrath.  In a similar vein, it is a terrible disrespect of God when our leaders pass laws that go against what God commands.  There will be judgment for those who reject God.

All that being said, we need to focus on how God rewarded Shem and Japheth for the way they respected their father and protected his honor.  It is through Shem’s descendants that God would bring a Savior for the world, and Japheth’s descendants would likewise benefit by dwelling in the same faith in the Christ.  All of Noah’s sons would enjoy great material blessings as they repopulated the earth.  From those three sons came all peoples and nations alive today.  Those who remained trusting God and His Word receive the gift of God’s mercy and grace.

I would like you to consider, therefore, this sermon theme for our text: Christ’s righteousness covers your shame.  Like Noah, each of us have committed sins that would shame us.  Whether intentional or inadvertent, our sins deserve condemnation.  Here, Noah somewhat represents Adam, whose lapse in judgment brought sin into the world.  Like Noah, a Son of Man covered our shame.

No, Jesus didn’t just throw a blanket over our nakedness.  Instead, God’s Son came into the world to be our righteousness and to take on Himself all our shame.  Who among us could honestly say that we have always obeyed the Fourth Commandment, or any of the Commandments, for that matter?  We fail them all.  For our sin, we deserve God’s wrath and judgment. 

Spiritually drunk under the devil’s control, we often failed to live according to all God has spoken.  Our shame is laid bare before the Lord’s knowing eyes.  The psalmist wrote, “Lord, you have investigated me, and you know.  You know when I sit down and when I get up.  You understand my thoughts from far off.  You keep track of when I travel and when I stay, and you are familiar with all my ways.  Before there is a word on my tongue, you, Lord, already know it completely.” (Psalm 139:1-4)  Where can we hide from God’s presence?  What could we do to cover our naked shame?  Nothing.

Thanks be to God, Christ’s righteousness covers your shame.  Because we couldn’t rescue ourselves from judgment, Jesus entered our world and lived righteousness for us.  Instead of bringing shame to His Father, Jesus lived perfect obedience on our behalf, and so well that the Father spoke of His Son from heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love.  I am well pleased with him.” (Matthew 3:17) 

For their faithful and kind reaction to their father’s predicament, Noah said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem!  Let Canaan be his servant.  May God enlarge Japheth.  Let him dwell in the tents of Shem.  Let Canaan be his servant.”  Noah praised God that Shem remained a believer, and Japheth along with Shem would enjoy the blessings of God’s grace.

You and I also, likely having descended from Japheth, remain in God’s grace, for by the faith that was poured out on us at Baptism, and by the hearing of God’s Good News, the Holy Spirit has worked trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in our hearts.  By faith, our naked guilt is covered by Christ’s righteousness before God.  By faith, we are welcomed into His kingdom and one day will be welcome in the mansions of heaven, we might say, to dwell in the tents of the righteous for all eternity.

This morning, we again partake of the rich food of Jesus’ body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar.  Here again, repentant sinners receive the forgiveness won for us on the cross.  Here, God again prepares us for our eternal dwelling place in the promised land of heaven as He covers us again with Jesus’ holiness.  Therefore, in true and sincere repentance for any and all sins which you have ever committed, believe the Good News that Christ’s righteousness covers your shame.  Amen.  

How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, everyone who is walking in his ways.  Amen.

Flee to the Savior who died so you might live.

 

Sermon for Christmas 2, January 4, 2026

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  Amen.

Matthew 2:16-18  ¹⁶When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Wise Men, he was furious.  He issued orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under.  This was in keeping with the exact time he had learned from the Wise Men.  ¹⁷Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: ^{18 “}A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” (EHV)

The Fifth Commandment: You shall not kill.

What does this mean?  We should fear and love God, so that we do no bodily harm to our neighbor, but help and befriend him in every need.

Flee to the Savior who died so you might live.

Dear fellow redeemed,

Martin Luther began his explanation of each of the Ten Commandments with the same phrase, “We should fear and love God.”  To fear God has two intents.  First, it means to be terrified of God’s justice for God has declared that “The soul who sins is the one who will die.” (Ezekiel 18:20)  Therefore, remaining in that sin, and without trust in the Redeemer and Savior, leads to eternal death in the depths of hell for all eternity, because Jesus plainly explained, “the one who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18)

The second way we should fear God is to marvel at His mercy and have complete confidence in God’s grace.  As believers, we gaze upon God’s majesty and kindness with awe and respect.  In this fear, His Word is “a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)  “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.  It penetrates even to the point of dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, even being able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

We love God when we live according to His will, when we trust His mercy and grace, and when we demonstrate our love for God with how we serve those around us, both friend and enemy alike.  At the same time, we live with confidence in God’s promises knowing that He is always true to His Word and works all things for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)  Out of confidence in God’s love for us, our love is not limited to mere emotion but is willingly active in doing our best for others.

Now, obviously, Herod had neither type of fear of God nor did He love God.  While Herod may have believed he was acting reasonably since he was protecting his authority as king of Judea, he obviously erred in that as well, for while God gives government the authority of the sword to maintain order in society and to punish those who do evil, that does not at all mean indiscriminate murder is allowed.  Certainly, God’s judgment awaited Herod in the end.

Today, there is much misunderstanding of the Fifth Commandment in our world.  Some want to make it extend to the killing of animals pretending that no animal should be slaughtered for food or made to suffer even the slightest indignity.  Other people boldly pretend that murder is acceptable if the victim is weak, helpless, or a burden to society, parents, or even children.  I suspect Herod fell into this category as he considered his desires justified whatever means he used to achieve his goals.

So, where does this leave us?  I wonder how many people just like us assume they are innocent of murder, because they haven’t actually killed anyone personally?  Perhaps, we too have fallen into that fantasy.  God’s Fifth Commandment certainly is intended to protect the body and life of every person.  Yet, that includes protecting everything about us.  Therefore, if anything is ever done or said that causes another person bodily harm, that is a violation of this command.  Jesus declared that even our anger and hurtful words can make us guilty of murder.  St. John warned in his first epistle, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.” (1 John 3:15)

When we truly understand the depth of God’s command, we see that every hurtful action or word is a violation worthy of judgment.  Thus, if we have ever said or done anything that caused another person to doubt the value of his or her life, if we have ever exposed ourselves to danger or harm through foolish choices, if we have ever desired vengeance for some perceived hurt, if we have supported evil, if we have ever taken a chance that exposed us to danger of losing our life, or if we have ever considered taking our own life, we have broken God’s command.  Left on our own, there so many sins that violate this command and lead us to feeling some horrible guilt.

King Herod brought a terrible hurt upon the people around Bethlehem.  The prophet foretold this slaughter, “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”  Every death causes someone anguish, but every untimely death, and every life wickedly snatched out of God’s mercy gives special grief and sorrow.  Therefore, we should and must Flee to the Savior who died so you might live.

To live boldly in this troubled world, and to be set free from the guilt we all must confess, we need Jesus.  To protect the infant Jesus from Herod’s murderous schemes, God commanded Joseph to take his family and flee to Egypt until Herod was no longer a threat.  Later in life, however, Jesus willingly went to Jerusalem when He knew His enemies there were scheming to kill Him.  He willingly went to the cross without complaint, because it was God’s purpose and Jesus’ will that He should sacrifice His life to save those of us who deserved death.

As the Lord and Giver of Life, Jesus certainly had the authority and the right to sentence every sinner to eternal punishment in hell, but while God is a just God, He does not willingly seek to destroy.  Rather, even though vengeance belongs to the Lord, His mercy and love shine through in Jesus.

When King David was guilty of great sin, including a contract killing of his faithful soldier, Uriah the Hittite, and Nathan, the prophet, exposed David’s guilt, David correctly judged himself worthy of death.  However, with David’s confession of guilt, God provided mercy.  The prophet told the condemned David, “The Lord himself has put away your sin.” (2 Samuel 12:13)  However, God didn’t just ignore David’s guilt, nor did He ignore yours or mine.  Rather, God transferred all the guilt of all our sins, shortcomings, and faults to His own dear Son, Jesus, so that justice would be satisfied, and the guilty ones could be forgiven.

It is so common in our world that, just like David tried at first, people want to hide their guilt and shame so that no one else may see it.  Murderers go to great lengths to try to hide the evidence.  More subtle killers, as in the abortion industry, try to hide the guilt by justifying the actions as needed to help someone out of a complicated situation.  Bullies and abusers try to blame the injured party.  None of this leads to forgiveness and life.  That is why in repentance, we Flee to the Savior who died so you might live.

St. Paul wrote, “We urge you, on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)  There is no way for those of us who are guilty to reconcile ourselves to God.  We deserve His condemnation.  But God is more than justice.  He is love and peace and righteousness, and He calls us to repentance.  Through His prophet, Isaiah, we hear God’s invitation, “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord.  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow.  Though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)  By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah later wrote, “He poured out his life to death, and he let himself be counted with rebellious sinners.  He himself carried the sin of many, and he intercedes for the rebels.” (Isaiah 53:12)

As Jesus was whipped and abused, and as He hung on the cross for your guilt, His scarlet blood was washing away everything that stained your relationship with God.  Therefore, as baptized children, washed clean in the water and Word of Baptism and granted faith by the work of the Holy Spirit there, God now sees you as the righteousness Jesus lived for you.  Through faith in Jesus, God sees you and me as though we have lived the life of holiness Jesus lived all His days on earth, and in that faith in Jesus, the Father has adopted and claimed us as His own beloved children.

Throughout all His years on earth, Jesus never desired vengeance on His enemies.  In fact, when He knew Judas was intending to betray Him, Jesus gave many opportunities to bring the traitor to repentance.  As the devil schemed to steal the disciples from Jesus’ care, The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, pay attention: Satan has asked to have you all, so that he may sift you as wheat.  But I prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.  And when you have returned to me, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32)  Finally, as Jesus was being unjustly nailed to the cross for sins which He did not commit, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)  As much as for the soldiers driving the nails, and the crowds who shouted for His death, Jesus was praying this prayer for me and you.  He has been interceding for us with His Father ever since, and that will continue until all God’s children are safely home in His kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, dear friends, whenever you feel your guilt, or should the devil try to tempt you with despair, or when you have to face death, whether prematurely or at a great age, put your trust and hope in Jesus.  Flee to the Savior who died so you might live.  Amen.

Now to the King eternal, to the immortal, invisible, only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen.